LPE Trio - Weapons Of Mass Propulsion

We take a closer look at a trio of LPE's road-going corvette cruise missiles.

For more than 25 years, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) has transformed factory- stock Corvettes into scary-fast supercars capable of pushing performance to the next level and beyond. It all began in 1987, when professional drag racer John Lingenfelter--winner of 13 NHRA national-event titles and an experienced high-performance engine builder--began selling engine packages for the C4 Corvette.

The factory stockers were doling out a meager 240 hp at the time--a far cry from the marque's horsepower heydays of '65-'71--but Lingenfelter upped the L98's ante to 380 horses, thanks to a suite of modifications that included massaged cylinder heads; a custom-spec camshaft; high-performance valvesprings, titanium retainers, and valve locks; and an intake manifold with high-flow runners, a ported-and-polished throttle body, and more. As if 140 hp more than stock wasn't enough to make every Corvette owner's right foot jitter with joy, Lingenfelter also offered an L98-based 383 stroker, which raised total output up to 400 hp.

Word spread quickly within the Corvette hobby that Lingenfelter built serious power, and other Corvette tuners saw he was building a serious reputation, too. In 1988, Reeves Callaway contracted him to design and assemble a twin-turbo, 355ci, 880hp aftermarket SBC for the Callaway Sledgehammer Corvette, which Lingenfelter then piloted to a record-breaking pass of 254.76 mph on the 7.5-mile oval at the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty, Ohio.

With the introduction of the ZR-1 in 1990, Lingenfelter found a new Corvette engine to improve upon. The factory's 350ci LT5 was already rated at an impressive 375 hp (later 405 hp), but in his hands, this high-tech powerplant grew in output--and sometimes in displacement as well. Engine packages for the DOHC mill started at 455 hp and later climbed to 465 hp and 475 hp. Soon thereafter, Lingenfelter developed even-higher-output packages, in 368ci/530hp, 385ci/565hp, and 415ci/610hp configurations.

Also that year, Lingenfelter released the JL-1 Box intake manifold (later renamed the SuperRam) for the L98 Tuned Port Injection (TPI) engine. The intake was designed to raise the peak power and rpm range of the long-runner TPI engine without causing any significant loss in low-end torque.

Through the mid-'90s, Lingenfelter stayed busy converting C4 Corvettes into machines that shortened the distance between time and space. Though the most popular of his packages were L98 and LT5 engine conversions, he also assembled and installed 540ci big-blocks into C4s.

In 1996, Car & Driver asked Lingenfelter to build an all-aluminum, 427ci, SB2-equipped '95 Corvette to commemorate the magazine's 40th anniversary. It was the fastest U.S. street-legal car C&D had tested to date, clocking in at 212 mph.

Shortly after the introduction of the C5 Corvette later that year, Lingenfelter purchased a Sebring Silver Metallic '97 coupe and used it to prototype 372ci/450hp and 383ci/475hp LS1 stroker packages, which he then brought to market before anyone else in the industry. Motor Trend tested one such vehicle, proclaiming it to be a "190-mph Super Vette."

In 1998, he added twin turbos to the aforementioned coupe--boosting its output to 500 hp--applied graphics to its exterior, and showcased the strip-scorcher at that year's Los Angeles Auto Show and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. The next year, he began offering 500hp and 650hp twin-turbo C5 packages to the public.

In March 2000, Lingenfelter made his first mark in the new millennium with a '99 twin-turbo Corvette rated at 650 hp. It was tested by Motor Trend and set the magazine's record for "Fastest Tuner Corvette" at an amazing 226 mph.

Within a year, he had expanded his twin-turbo packages to include a 427ci/725hp setup, based on the Corvette Racing C5-R block. Along with it, customers could choose a menacing-looking C5 wide-body kit that kept their cars planted to the ground at high speeds. A total of six cars were built with the wide-body kit, including two convertibles.

In June 2002, Motor Trend tested Lingenfelter's twin-turbo, 427/900hp '00 Corvette, setting the record for the quickest-accelerating tuner Corvette to date. Pitted against a U.S. Navy F/A-18, the Vette ran 9.24 seconds at 150.27 mph in the quarter-mile and posted a 0-60 time of 1.97 seconds.

Lingenfelter died on Christmas Day 2005, from injuries sustained in a drag-racing accident, but his company lives on through the talented men and women who make up Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. "Through their dedication, the Lingenfelter legend lives, and is reflected in our vehicles with refined power, speed, and control," company CEO Ken Lingenfelter (a distant cousin of John Lingenfelter) says.

Despite its visionary's passing, LPE continued to define the cutting edge of Corvette high-performance. Its '05 coupe was the testbed for an LS2-based 403ci/525hp stroker, which debuted in Car and Driver's April '05 issue. LPE followed that success with a 427/725hp twin-turbo C6, a Commemorative Edition Series (CES) body kit, and then a limited run of 25 John Lingenfelter Commemorative Edition Corvettes, all of which featured twin-turbo 427 engines, body kits, and upgraded brakes, wheels, and tires.

In May 2007, LPE unveiled a twin-turbo '06 Z06 that was purpose-built for the standing-mile. The car reached an astonishing 226 mph on a runway in Oscoda, Michigan. Two-and-a-half years later, the company modified a ZR1 Corvette and made it the first of the breed to break into the 9s in the quarter-mile--9.813 at 145.74 mph, to be exact.

Today, LPE still offers many of the C4 through C6 packages that have been its driving force for the past quarter century. "Lingenfelter's reliable, driveable, and powerful engine packages continue to be a popular choice for Corvette owners who want to raise the bar to the upper limits," LPE's Jeff Myers says.

To celebrate Lingenfelter's prominent role in late-model Corvette performance, we gathered three of the company's quickest Vettes from the last quarter century. Let's take a closer look at these notable performers and see what makes them so special. vette

'93 ZR-1

This is the first ZR1 body-kit car that John Lingenfelter built. It features a custom hood, front fascia, side skirts, and rear fascia with the LPE logo.

Spec Sheet

'93 ZR-1

Owner

Ken Lingenfelter

Block

Stock LT5 aluminum with custom sleeves

Displacement

415 ci

Compression Ratio

11.0:1

Heads

LPE-ported LT5 aluminum

Valves

Stock

Camshafts

Lingenfelter custom

Pistons

JE forged aluminum

Crankshaft

Moldex forged steel

Rods

Oliver billet steel, 5.850-in

Intake Manifold

Ported LT5 aluminum

Throttle Body

LPE 63mm

Fuel Injectors

Stock

Fuel Pump

Stock

Ignition

Stock

Engine Management

GM with LPE programming

Power Adder

None

Exhaust System

Watson headers with LPE custom exhaust cutouts

Transmission

ZF six-speed manual

Torque Converter/Clutch

Stock

Driveshaft

Stock

Shock controller

Custom drag-race E-PROM

Front Suspension

Stock

Rear Suspension

Stock

RearEnd

Stock Dana 44

Front Brakes

Baer Alcon 14-in with four-piston calipers

Rear Brakes

Baer Alcon 14-in with four-piston calipers

Wheels

Fikse three-piece; 17-in front, 18-in rear

Tires

Michelin Pilot; 285/35ZR18 (front), 335/30ZR18 (rear)

Fuel Octane

93

Weight

Unknown

Best E.T./MPH

11.59/128

Current Mileage

13,614

Miles Driven Weekly

Approximately 50

'00 Twin-Turbo FRC

This John Lingenfelter--built Corvette--the exact car that Motor Trend raced against a U.S. Navy F/A-18 in 2002--was the first C5 in the 8s, with a quarter-mile e.t. of 8.95 seconds at 153.6 mph.

Spec Sheet

'00 FRC

Owner

Ken Lingenfelter

Block

Aluminum C5-R

Displacement

427 ci

Compression Ratio

8.5:1

Heads

LPE-ported C5-R aluminum

Valves

Stainless (intake)/Inconel (exhaust)

Camshaft

LPE GT7

Rocker Arms

Stock 1.7 ratio

Pistons

JE forged aluminum

Crankshaft

Lunati 4340 forged steel

Rods

Oliver billet steel, 6.125-in

Intake Manifold

LPE custom-fabricated sheetmetal

Throttle Body

75mm

Fuel Injectors

Bosch Motorsports 90-lb/hr

Fuel Pump

LPE in-tank

Ignition

Stock coil-on-plug

Engine Management

GM with LPE calibration

Power Adders

Two Garrett GT35R ball-bearing turbochargers

Maximum Boost

25 psi

Intercooler

LPE custom center-mount

Exhaust System

LPE turbo manifolds, Borla titanium Cat-Back

Transmission

GM 4L65E automatic

Torque Converter

3,600-rpm stall

Driveshaft

Stock

Front Suspension

Penske remote-reservoir adjustable coilovers

Rear Suspension

Penske remote-reservoir adjustable coilovers

RearEnd

Stock with 3.42 gears

Front Brakes

Stock

Rear Brakes

Stock

Wheels

HRE LPE Series forged three-piece

Tires

Michelin Pilot; 265/35/ZR18 (front), 345/30/ZR19 (rear)

Fuel Octane

93 or C16, depending on boost level

Weight

3,300 lbs

Best ET/MPH

8.95/153.60

Current Mileage

24,621

Miles Driven Weekly

N/A

'10 ZR1

This privately owned, LPE-modified ZR1 showcases the company's continuing commitment to the Corvette, and Chevy's best-of-the-breed LS9 engine. "The ZR1 is the ultimate Corvette, and LPE enhances it with even more power," LPE's Sheets says. "A 700-plus-horsepower car for the street exceeds everyone's expectations."

Spec Sheet

'10 ZR1

Owner

Bob Hatfield

Block

Stock LS9 aluminum

Displacement

376 ci

Compression Ratio

9.2:1

Heads

Stock LS9 aluminum

Valves

Stock 2.160 titanium/1.590 sodium-filled

Camshaft

Stock hydraulic roller

Rocker Arms

Stock 1.7 ratio

Pistons

Stock forged aluminum

Crankshaft

Stock forged steel

Rods

Stock forged titanium

Intake Manifold

Stock

Throttle Body

Stock

Fuel Injectors

Stock

Fuel Pump

Stock

Ignition

Stock coil-on-plug

Engine Management

GM with LPE calibration

Power Adder

Factory TVS 2300 Eaton supercharger

Maximum Boost

12 psi

Intercooler

Stock

Exhaust System

Stock

Transmission

TR6060 six-speed manual

Clutch

Stock twin-disc

Driveshaft

Stock

Front Suspension

Stock

Rear Suspension

Stock

RearEnd

Stock with 3.42 gears

Front Brakes

Stock with carbon rotors and six-piston calipers

Rear Brakes

Stock with carbon rotors and four-piston calipers

Wheels

Stock

Tires

Michelin Pilot Sport 2; 285/30ZR19 (front), 335/25ZR20 (rear)

Fuel Octane

93

Weight

3,324 lbs

Best ET/MPH

10.55/136.81 (est.)

Current Mileage

3,400

Miles Driven Weekly

20

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LPE Trio - Weapons Of Mass Propulsion

01 LPE Marketing Manager Nathan Sheets poses with one of the company’s early ZR-1 strokers. A similarly modified car walked away with Car & Driver’s 0-150-0 title in 1998.

02 At 620 hp, the big-cube LT5 makes nearly as much power as the new ZR1’s supercharged LS9--without a blower. That’s doubly impressive for an engine package that was designed nearly two decades ago.

03 A custom sheetmetal intake was required to withstand the hurricane-force intake charge cooked up by twin Garrett ball-bearing turbos. Although fully streetable, this car’s stratospheric trap speed would mandate a parachute under NHRA rules.

04 LPE Sales Representative Jeff Myers is a drag racer in his spare time and is often called upon to demonstrate how LPE-modified Corvettes put the power to the pavement.

05 Bob Hatfield is the private owner of this LPE-modified '10 ZR1. "I first heard about lingenfelter when I brought my '05 Corvette," he says. "Though I didn't have the opportunity to have them work on that car, I went to them for the 710hp package when I brought my ZR1. I was impressed with their facility and their incredible workmanship."

06 Inflating the output of the factory-blown LS9 employs a cold-air intake, a smaller supercharger pulley (for more boost) and a freer-flowing blower "snout" to tack on an additional 72 horses over stock.